Stool and ladder combination



1959 H. STURMHOEFEL 2,918,108-

STOOL AND LADDER COMBINATION Filed May 7, 1958 INVENTOR fi y W ATTORNEYSTOOL AND LADDER CGMBINATKQN Heinz Sturmhoefel, Edmonton, Alberta,Canada Application May 7, 1958, Serial No. 733,573

1 Claim. (Cl. 15542) My invention pertains generally to ladders and,particularly, it pertains to an improved ladder and stool combination.

It is the principal object of my invention to provide a combined stooland ladder wherein the ladder may be folded completely in two and ishidden by the stool when completely folded.

A further object is to provide a ladder composed of hinged sections thatwill fold in alternate directions to occupy a minimum of space in thefolded position.

Another object is to provide a stool and ladder combination wherein theladder is coupled to the seat of the stool and movement of the seat willerect or collapse the ladder.

A still further object is to provide astool and ladder combinationwherein the ladder may be locked securely in the erected position.

An additional object is to provide a stool and ladder combinationmanufactured from readily obtainable low cost parts.

Another object is to provide a stool and ladder combination having apleasing exterior appearance to fit unobtrusively into standardhousehold furnishings.

Additional objects and advantages resulting from my invention will beseen on reading the attached specification in conjunction with thedrawings attached. While I will describe my invention with a certaindegree of particularity, it should be understood that the informationtherein is by way of example and illustration only and is not to beconstrued as a limitation. Various changes and modifications as fallwithin the scope of the appended claim may be made without departingfrom the inventive spirit and scope thereof.

In drawings which illustrate one practical example of my invention andwherein like numbers refers to like or similar parts,

Figure 1 is a rear elevational view of my invention in the foldedposition,

Figure 2 is a side elevational view of my invention showing the ladderin the partially collapsed position,

Figure 3 is another side elevational view in section and showing myladder in the completely open or extended position.

As seen in the drawings, my device comprises the stool 1 which is ofcommon construction, composed of vertical legs 2 joined together bycross pieces 3 to form a rectangular structure. A cover or seat 4 isconnected hingedly at the rearward upper edge of the stool by the hinge5 and, in its preferred form, the stool is provided with side panels 6and and a back panel 7 with the front and top of the stool being leftopen.

The stepladder is constructed in sectional form in three 2,918,108Patented Dec. 22, 1959 ice sections 8, 9 and 11) joined together byhinges 11. Each of these sections is of common construction and includesparallel side members 12 with horizontal steps 13 keyed to the sidemembers 12 as is common in ladder construction and with an enlargedupper step 14 at the top of the ladder section 8. p

The section 9 of the ladder is connected pivotally to the stool 1 at thepivots 15 and the section 8 of the ladder is connected hingedly to thetop 4 by the hinge 16. In this manner, it will be obvious that as thecover 4 is opened and closed with respect to the stool 1, the ladderwill be moved to the extended position illustrated in Figure 3 orcollapsed to the closed position.

As seen in the drawings, the pivotal connections 15 are positioned sothe lower section 10 of the ladder will be at the same level as thebottom of the legs 2 and will engage the floor or on whatever othersurface the stool may be placed, when the legs are in the extendedposition. Obviously, it will be necessary to raise the forward edge ofthe stool to fold the section 10 under the stool or to move the section10 to the extended position as illustrated.

To hold the ladder in the extended position, I have provided thesupporting brace composed of the member 17 connected pivotally to thestool at 18 and the member 19 connected pivot-ally at 20 to the member17 and connected pivotally at 21 to the ladder. When in the maximumsupporting position illustrated in Figure 3, the member 17 and 19 areprovided with a friction catch 22, which is common in braces of thistype and does not require further description.

An additional friction catch 23 is provided on the member 10 of theladder to engage with the protuberance 24 on the member 9 and hold themember 10 out of the way when the ladder is not in use. As an additionalaid, I have provided the removable tray composed of the member 24 andhooks 25 which will engage on the top step 14 to provide an enlargedworking surface when the ladder is in use. When the ladder is not beingused, the tray may be lodged within the stool 1 or may be stored asrequired.

What I claim as my invention is:

A combination stool and ladder comprising a stool open at one side andthe top thereof, a cover for the top connected hingedly to the stool, aladder comprising upper, middle and lower sections connected hingedlytogether to collapse in alternate directions, a hinged connectionbetween the said cover and the upper section of the ladder, pivotalconnections adjacent the said open side of the stool and connecting themiddle section of the ladder to the stool, such pivotal connection beinglocated at a height on the stool whereby the lower section of the laddermay engage with the surface on which the stool is placed and acollapsible brace connected at one end to the stool and at its oppositeend to the said middle section of the ladder.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,887,492 Lundstrom Nov. 15, 1932 2,555,149 Mushta May 29, 1951 FOREIGNPATENTS 462,537 Great Britain Mar. 10, 1937 1,067,743 France Jan. 27,1954

